Employment Outlook for Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters

Employment of flooring installers and tile and marble setters is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

The construction of new housing units will be the primary source of flooring and tile and marble installation work over the next decade. As the housing industry continues to recover, more flooring installers will be hired to work on these units. In addition, more flooring installers and tile and marble setters will be needed for remodeling and replacement projects in existing homes. Although carpet is still the dominant flooring, other products, including hard flooring such as linoleum and vinyl, are growing in popularity. Tile and marble will continue to be commonly installed in bathrooms, shopping malls, and restaurants, as well as in other commercial and government buildings.

Job Prospects

Overall job prospects should be good over the coming decade as new building construction will create job opportunities for flooring installers and tile and marble setters.

As with many other types of construction occupations, employment of these workers is sensitive to the fluctuations of the economy. On the one hand, workers may experience periods of unemployment when the overall level of construction falls. On the other hand, additional workers may be needed in some areas during peak periods of building activity.

Typical Pay for Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters

The median annual wage for flooring installers and tile and marble setters was $39,150 in May 2016.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,450, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $72,400.

Median annual wages for flooring installers and tile and marble setters in May 2016 were as follows:

Tile and marble setters

$40,460

Carpet installers

38,280

Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles

37,840

Floor sanders and finishers

36,860

In May 2016, the median annual wages for flooring installers and tile and marble setters in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Construction of buildings

$43,240

Building finishing contractors

39,560

Home furnishings stores

36,960

Manufacturing

35,730

Most flooring installers and tile and marble setters work full time. In commercial settings, installers may work evenings and weekends to avoid disturbing regular business operations.

What Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters Do All Day

Duties

Flooring installers and tile and marble setters typically do the following:

Remove existing flooring or wall covering

Clean and level the surface to be covered

Measure the area and cut flooring material to fit

Arrange flooring according to design plans

Place flooring, using adhesives, nails, or staples

Fill joints with filler compound and remove excess compound

Trim excess carpet or linoleum

Apply necessary finishes, such as sealants and stains

Nearly every building has a finished floor, and flooring installers and tile and marble setters lay the materials that improve the look and feel of homes, offices, restaurants, and other buildings. Although most of the materials installed by these workers cover only floors, some materials are also installed on walls and countertops or in showers.

A smooth, even base of mortar or plywood is required for floors and tile to be installed. The base may be installed by flooring installers and tile and marble setters or by other construction craftworkers. When remodeling, workers may need to remove the old flooring and smooth the surface.

The following are examples of types of flooring installers and tile and marble setters:

Carpet installers lay lengths of carpet on new floors or over older flooring. They use special tools, including “knee kickers” to position the carpet and power stretchers to pull the carpet snugly against walls. Installers also join edges of carpet and seam edges where necessary, by sewing or by using tape with glue and a heated carpet iron.

Carpet tile installers lay small, modular pieces of carpet that may be glued into place. Carpet tiles allow for easy replacement and design patterns that are not possible with standard carpet.

Floor sanders and finishers perform the final steps in hardwood floor installation. After carpenters install the hardwood floor, workers use power sanders to smooth it. They apply stains and sealants to preserve the wood.

Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles, install a wide variety of resilient flooring materials. Linoleum installers lay the hard, washable floor material of the same name. The linoleum is cut to size and glued into place. Vinyl installers install plastic-based flooring that includes vinyl ester, vinyl sheeting, and vinyl tile. Installers of laminate, manufactured wood, and wood tile floors are included in this category.

Tile and marble setters install ceramic and marble tile. Tile installers, sometimes called tile setters, cut and place tile. To cut tiles, workers use wet saws, tile scribes, or handheld tile cutters to create even edges. They use trowels of different sizes to spread mortar or a sticky paste, called mastic, evenly on the surface to be tiled. To minimize imperfections and keep rows even, they put spacers between tiles. Spacers keep tiles the same distance from each other until the mortar is dry. Tile finishers apply grout between tiles after the tiles are set, using a rubber trowel called a float. When the grout dries, they must wipe the tiles for a clean, finished look. Marble setters cut marble to a specified size with a wet saw. After fastening the stone, marble setters polish the marble to a high luster, using hand or power sanders.

Work Environment for Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters

Flooring installers and tile and marble setters held about 122,300 jobs in 2016. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up flooring installers and tile and marble setters was distributed as follows:

Tile and marble setters

58,300

Carpet installers

40,400

Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles

16,300

Floor sanders and finishers

7,300

The largest employers of flooring installers and tile and marble setters were as follows:

Building finishing contractors

46%

Self-employed workers

36

Home furnishings stores

8

Construction of buildings

3

Manufacturing

2

Although flooring and tile are usually installed after most of the construction for a project has been completed and the work area is mostly clean and uncluttered, some materials and tasks may be messy.

Installing flooring, tile, and marble is physically demanding, with workers spending much of their time reaching, bending, and kneeling. As a result, workers typically wear kneepads for protection. Workers also wear safety goggles when using grinders, saws, and sanders. In enclosed areas with poor access to ventilation, workers often use dust masks or respirator systems to prevent the inhalation of dust. Dust is generated from cutting tiles and from sanding adhesives and mortars.

Work Schedules

Most flooring installers and tile and marble setters work full time. In commercial settings, installers may work evenings and weekends to avoid disturbing regular business operations.

How To Become a Flooring Installer or Tile and Marble Setter

Flooring installers and tile and marble setters typically learn their trade on the job, sometimes starting as a helper. Some learn through an apprenticeship.

Education

There are no specific education requirements for someone to become a flooring installer or tile and marble setter. A high school diploma or equivalent is preferred for those entering an apprenticeship program.

High school art, math, and vocational courses are considered helpful for flooring installers and tile and marble setters.

Training

Flooring installers and tile and marble setters typically learn their duties through on-the-job training, working with experienced installers. Although workers may enter training directly, many start out as helpers.

New workers usually start by performing simple tasks, such as moving materials. As they gain experience, they are given more complex tasks, such as cutting carpet. Some tile installer helpers become tile finishers before becoming tile installers.

Some flooring installers and tile and marble setters learn their trade through a 2- to 4-year apprenticeship. This instruction may include mathematics, building code requirements, safety and first-aid practices, and blueprint reading. After completing an apprenticeship program, flooring installers and tile and marble setters are considered to be journey workers and may perform duties on their own.

Certification

Several organizations and groups offer certifications for floor and tile installers. Although certification is not required, it demonstrates that a flooring installer and tile and marble setter has a specific mastery skills to do a job.

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) offers the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) certification for workers with 2 or more years of experience as a tile installer. Applicants are required to complete a written test and a hands-on performance evaluation.

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has a voluntary certification for floor sanders and finishers. Sanders and finishers must have 2 years of experience and must have completed NWFA-approved training. Applicants are also required to complete written and performance tests.

Important Qualities

Color vision. Flooring installers and tile and marble setters often determine small color variations. Because tile patterns may include many different colors, workers must be able to distinguish among colors and among patterns for the best looking finish.

Customer-service skills. Flooring installers and tile and marble setters commonly work in customers’ homes. Therefore, workers must be courteous and considerate of a customer’s property while completing tasks.

Detail oriented. Flooring installers and tile and marble setters need to plan and lay out materials. Some carpet patterns can be highly detailed and artistic, so workers must ensure that the patterns are properly and accurately aligned.

Math skills. Flooring installers and tile and marble setters use measurement-related math skills on every job. Besides measuring the area to be covered, workers must calculate the number of carpet tiles needed to cover that area.

Physical stamina. Flooring installers and tile and marble setters must have the endurance to stand or kneel for many hours. Workers need to spread adhesives quickly and place tile on floors before the adhesives harden.

Physical strength. Flooring installers and tile and marble setters lift and carry heavy materials. Workers must be strong enough to lift, carry, and set heavy pieces of marble into position.